Belt-tightener



(No M0991.) v

' J. S. SHELBY. BELT TIGHTENER.

No. 492,972. Patented Mar. '7, 1893.

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' NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. SEELEY, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

sELT-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 492,972, dated March 7,1893.

Application led April 28. 1891. Serial No. 390,868. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. SEELEY, of Fremont, in the county of Dodgeand State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Belt-'lighteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in belt tighteners or devicesfor drawing together the ends of driving belts for the purpose ofenabling the same to be easily joined.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention: Figure l is aplan view of the parts constituting the same. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof said parts. Fig. 3 is a detail edge view of the rope clamp shown inFigs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

As shown in said drawings, A A are the ends of the belt to be joined.

B B indicate pairs of clamp bars, one of which is engaged with each endof the belt, said bars being placed at opposite sides of the belt and'clamped against the same by means hereinafter described.

C C indicate, as a whole, clamping devices for holding the bars B Bagainst the belt.

D D indicate pulley blocks which are connected with the clamping devicesC C.

E is a rope trained over the pulleys of the blocks D D', and F a ropeclamp for holding the end of the rope.

The clamping devices C C are four in number and are all alike, one pairof said clamping devices being engaged with each pair of clamp in themanner illustrated (Fig. 2). The link C4 is extended beyond the bar C toform a lever arm CEi by which power may be applied to the link O4 forthe purpose of moving the said bars toward and from each other, the barsbeing separated from the said links and brought perpendicular to thebars and being drawn together when the links are inclined with referenceto the bars. The said links C3 O4 are preferably made double or in pairswith the links of each pair on opposite sides of the bars, in the mannerclearly shown in Fig. l.

C6 is a bar pivoted to the outer end of the lever arm C5 and provided atits end opposite said lever arm with an eye c2 for engagement with ahook d on the block D or D.

C7 is a link pivoted to the bar C and en-l gaging the bar C6 in suchmanner as-to form a guide for the outer or free end of said bar C and tohold the said free end of said bar C6 adjacent to the free end of theclamp bar C. Said bar C6 is arranged to slide freely through the link O7so that the bar C6 may be drawn endwise by a tension given through themedium of the ropes and pulleys, with the eifect of drawing the arm O5into an inclined position with relation to the clamp bars and forcingthe said clamp bars together. Said arm C5 is preferably made ofconsiderable length relatively to the distance between the pivots of thelinks C3 C4 so that said arm operates with considerable leverage indrawing the clamp bars together.

In the operation of the device above described a pair of clamp bars isplaced on opposite sides of each of the belt ends to be joined, theclamping devices are then engaged with the clamp bars by inserting theends of said bars through the notches c c of the clamping devices, thepulley-blocks are then engaged with the clamping devices and. the ropedrawn taut. The tension produced by the tightening of the ropes has theeffect of drawing or forcing the clamp bars against the ends of the beltso as to firmly clamp or hold the same and prevent the belt fromslipping through the clamp bars, and at the same time serves to drawtogether the ends of the belt into the position in which they are to besecured by the fastening device employed. After the ends of the belthave been drawn ICO together the ropes E E are secured and the deviceserves to hold the belt ends together during the time that the joint isbeing made.

The rope clamp F consists of a block F connected with the frame of thepulley-block D by lneans of an arm F2 attached to the said block andpivoted at its end to the sheave by means of a pivotf. A clamp arm F3 ispivoted to the block F and is provided with a laterally bent arm or jawfwhich is arranged opposite an eccentric clamping surface f2 of theblock F. Attached to the clamp jaw F3 is a handle F4. The loose end ofthe rope E is carried through the clamp F, the eccentric F of which isso arranged that the rope will pass freely through the clamp when therope is being tightened. When it is desired to secure the rope the freeend of the latter is thrown backwardly, as shown at c (Fig. l), therebydrawing bodily backward the clamp and bringing the same into suchposition that the strain on the rope tends to swing the clamp jaw Fatoward the larger end of the eccentric clamp surface f2and therebysecures the rope from movement. The clam p thus constructed releases therope automatically when the rope is drawn taut in the direction to drawtogether the pulley blocks.

The belt tightener above described is of great advantage for use in thecase of elevator belts and other belts which must be operated uponwithin a restricted space, by reason of the smallness and compactness ofall the parts of the device.

I claim as my inventionl. A belt tightener comprising clamp bars adaptedto engage the belt, and clamping devices acting on said bars, consistingof movable parallel bars C C2, links connecting said bars, a lever armattached to one of said links, and means connected with the outer end ofsaid lever arm for draWi ug or forcing together the clamp bars and fordrawing together the ends of the belt, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the clamp bars B B', of a clamping deviceconsisting of parallel bars C C2, links connecting said bars, a leverarm C5 connected with one of said links, a bar C6 connected with theouter end of said lever arm, and a link C7 connected with the bar C andengaging the bar C, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the clamp bars B, B', of a clamping deviceconsisting of parallel bars C', C2, having notches within which theclamp bars are secured, links connecting said barsa lever arm C5connected with one of said links, a bar, C, connected With the outer endof said lever arm and a link, C7, connected with the bar, C', andengaging the bar C6 substantially as described.

4. A belt tightener comprising clamp-bars arranged in pairs, those of apair being movable toward and from each other, clamping devices engagingthe bars and operating to give the bars their clamping movement, pulleyblocks attached to said clamping devices, ropes passing through saidpulley blocks, and a rope clamp upon one of the pulley blocks forholding the rope, substantially as described.

5. A belt tightener comprising clamp bars for engaging the belt,clamping devices for forcing together said bars, consisting of twoparallel clamp-bars C C2, links connecting the same, a lever armattached to one of said links, a bar C attached to said lever arm, alink C7 connected with the bar C and engaging the said bar C6, pulleyblocks connected with the ends of the bar C, ropes passing through saidpulley blocks, and a rope clamp attached to one of each pair of saidpulley blocks, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention l affix mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH S. SEELEY.

Witnesses:

VICTOR SErrz, FRANK l. ELLICH, Jr.

